Sole Survivor
by melmel25
Summary: A less complicated Hunger Games Katniss volenteers for Prim and she goes to the Hunger Games and the rest you'll have to read to find out! Hope you like it!
1. Chapter 1

**Sole Survivor**

* * *

**Chapter One:**

My eyes popped open at the sound of Prim crying in terror so I naturally jumped up from my bed to go comfort her. Today was her first reaping she must be terrified, I remember my first reaping twelve years old, no father or mother there to comfort me, only Gale my companion for what seems like forever. I murmured words of comfort in her ear and rubbed her back soothingly, eventually she calmed down for me.

Once she stopped crying I sent her to go wake mother while I went out to go hunting for possibly the last meal I would ever get for us. But I haven't been picked for the Hunger Games so far, who says I'll go now and Prim has even less odds. I walked through the Seam waving to people who were calling my name and continued walking as I passed the Hob and all the outer lining houses to get to the fence that kept us all in the district. I went straight to the spot where I knew there was a hole in the fence, waited for a hum that let me know if there was any electricity running through it, and continued through the hole.

Once I was out of the district I went to the log where I hide my bow and the tree where I kept my arrows. I scooped up a handful of leaves from the ground, crumbled them, and sprinkled them over my head to disguise my scent.

I but my bow into position and crept up onto a fallen log and over a creek, I picked up a rock and threw it into a bush to scare the deer I knew was behind there.

I quickly notch an arrow and was about to let it loose when I heard a load, "CATNIP," from behind me.

I frantically shot the arrow at the deer who was long gone by now and when I missed the impossible shot I turned around to yell at the only other person out here.

"Gale, that was the first deer I saw in months," I was so angry that deer would have feed the entire village!

"Really Catnip, what were you going to do with that buck, the district is crawling with Peacekeeper's," Gale said amused.

"I know," I said, "but I wanted to have it just in case I get picked to go into the Hunger Games, so my family will have something to eat."

"Katniss, you know that I would take care of your family just like I know you'd take care of mine," Gale said in his easygoing nature that only his close friends and family got to see.

"We better get back Catnip the Reaping's going to start soon," Gale said after a comfortable pause.

"I haven't caught anything yet," I protested.

Gale rolled his eyes and, just as I had before, scooped up a rock and threw it at a tree sending all kinds of birds into the air. So acting on instinct I notched an arrow and shot down three birds, two with one arrow and one with one arrow.

"I bet your proud of that lucky shot aren't you," commented Gale.

I smirked at him, "Yes, yes I am."

I walked back into the house with my three birds and put them under a bowl so they wouldn't spoil too soon. Prim came skipping into the room dressed in her best clothes twirling around and swinging her arms gaily.

As soon as she came near me I scooped her up into my arms and swung her around in a circle laughing as she giggled.

"Little duck," I sang, "your tail is sticking out don't forget to tuck it in."

She smiled sweetly at me before gazing over my shoulder at something; I turned around to see what it was and saw my mother holding a pretty blue dress out to me hesitantly.

"I brought you this to where," she said softly.

I scowled at her untrustingly but took the dress anyway and went upstairs to bathe and dress something I almost never do.

When I was done I looked at myself in the mirror and saw my mother in the doorway behind me. Once I saw her she walked up behind me and started to braid my hair it was a simple braid and her skilled fingers did it easily. When she was done there was a long beautiful braid in place of my ordinary brown hair and that combined with my dress made me look amazing.

"You should get going," she said tenderly.

"Yeah," I agreed solemnly.

I went down stairs, grabbed Prim, and left for the Reaping her first Reaping and my fourth the chances of us getting picked are insanely low because compared to everyone else we have barley any names in.

As we got closer to the Reaping stage we saw more and more Peacekeepers and eventually they separated us into the categories boys and girls and by age groups. Prim frantically tried to hold on to me when they tried to put her into the twelve's age group but I tried to bargain with them.

"Just let me bring her there," I pleaded with one of the Peacekeepers.

He let me bring her but he went with us and brought me back to my age group once Prim was in her hers.

After everyone was there Effie Trinket came onto the stage with a drunken Haymitch who promptly fell of the stage. It was pretty funny but nobody laughed but Effie because of the strict aura that the Peacekeepers let out.

Once she calmed herself down she started the Reaping, "Welcome to the 74th annual Hunger Games Reaping," and as she said that Haymitch got up for some reason from next to the stage and tried to climb back onto it. He kept falling down the stairs so eventually Peacekeepers went over and escorted him down the stage and back to his house.

"Well that was entertaining," she said breathless from her laughter, "let's get started and as usual ladies first."

She reached her hand into the jar that held all our names and also as usual everyone held there breathe hoping it was no one too close to them.

After five agonizing seconds of breath holding she finally calls out, "Primrose Everdeen."

**:OHHHH NOOOOOO NOT PRIM! HOPE YOU GUYS LIKE IT BY THE WAY THIS IS NOOOOOOOT A ONESHOT THAKYOU:**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sole Survivor**

**Chapter Two:**

My breathe leaves me out of shock and my body gasps for air frantically while my mind goes in circles a mile a minute. This is her first Reaping the odds are not in her favor but what could I do what_ can I_ do! My mind can come up with only one doable answer to volunteer; to save my little duck even if means to give my own life.

I step out of my age group and scream Prims name and start running towards her, all while breaking through the arms of Peacekeepers trying to stop me. I gather her up into my arms and hug her for all I'm worth gathering the strength to say those awful words that will execute me.

After a minute I put her down, stand up straight, and say with the strongest voice I can muster, "I volunteer."

The second I say it the screams and shouts of panic all stop into a stunned silence, I walk forward towards the stage with my head tilted proudly.

Nothing could stop me, I am an unstoppable force as everyone parts the way for me nothing could stop me but one thing the agonized sound of Prim screaming my name. As soon as I heard her I felt her too, she was clinging onto my leg begging me not to go, to let her go instead. I picked her up and just hold her until the peacekeepers came to take her. They pulled at Prim and when that didn't work they pulled at me and when that didn't work they started yelling and threatening.

Then there was a pair of familiar callused hands gently pulling Prim off of me and hug me goodbye, it was Gale the only person I could count on no matter what.

Once Prim was safely out of sight I continued forward at and even pace neither fast nor slow I wanted to show them that I was the one in charge here not them. When I reached the stage all was silent even the birds weren't even chirping in fact the only noise is my shoes walking on the stage.

Finally I reached Effie who was smiling that ditzy smile at me as she said, "You've caused quite the commotion which is as it should be considering you're the first volunteer from district twelve."

I rolled my eyes at how oblivious she was to other people and their emotions but I guess that's how all Capital people are.

"And now for the boys," Effie said still cheery as she stuck her hand into bowl once again and as brought out a single piece of paper she cleared her throat then announced, "Peeta Mellark."

Oh no anybody but him I own him for saving my life when I was sure to die without him, it was about five years ago when I had first lost my father and had yet to start hunting. I was out looking through the trash for any food and I had somehow ended up in front of the bakery looking through their trash for any thrown away bread. I had just found a big enough piece to feed my whole family when something knocked me over and onto the dirt. It was the baker's wife she called me a street rat and told me to stay out of her trash and when she turned around she yelled at her son for staring at me and to get back to work. The boy went back inside for a while and when he came back out he was holding a burnt piece of bread and wielding a hand shaped red mark on his check. Now I didn't know the boy but he tossed that piece of bread at me even though we've never spoken and I have yet to pay him back for that.

"The 74th Hunger Games tributes of district twelve let's give them a hand," said Effie the silence was deafening but then one by one everyone made our district sign at us and kept them up even as we were led away into the train by the peacekeepers.

We were lead in to the train by two peacekeepers that immediately left once we entered and closed the door behind them.

I looked around at the train it was even more extravagant than the Justice Building it even had a chandelier and food, more food that my whole house had. While I was looking around in awe Peeta had moved to the door and was going into another room. I quickly went after him into a huge dining room with a big elegant table, delicate plates and silver ware, and a pristine wide window. There were also a few magnificent paintings on the wall put I was more interested in the window and the different terrains out there. So while Peeta and I was transfixed on all the beautiful things in here Haymitch and Effie had walked in and were getting seated at the dining table.

After a few minutes Effie tapped her fork on her wine glass and said, "Peeta, Katniss please take your seat were going to eat."

I reluctantly took my seat and with all the manners I could muster I ate slowly savoring each piece and have way through I was full. There was more food on the table than I had ever eaten in my life.

"Eat your food child," Effie said in her squeaky accented voice.

"I...I can't this is more food than I have ever seen or eaten in my life," I said like a normal person.

"Listen to her, she's right about this one thing," slurred Haymitch, "you're going to need all the fat you can get for the Hunger Games."

I looked back down to my plate in disgust then up at Peeta who was on his third helping already I looked back down at my plate and started shoveling. I ate my second, third, and fourth helping and kept at it until I could eat no more and then I had desert. I don't know how these could people eat so much of everything if I had the option to eat all this, I would never starve again.

Suddenly I heard a ringing from Effie's direction and when I looked I saw her looking at her wrist, "Ooh," she squeaked, "seven o'clock, time for my program."

And with those words of wisdom she left the table leaving only me, Peeta, and a drunken Haymitch.

"So," started Peeta, "any words of advice for us."

"How about stay alive," he slurred as he laughed drunkenly and poured himself some more wine.

Peeta and I shared a glance of understanding neither of us is going to take that we want to survive or at least give a fight.

I took the sharpest knife from my plate and slammed it into the table watching Haymitch jerk in surprise from the noise and spill his drink.

Instead of yelling at me for spilling his drink he asked, "Can you hit anything besides a table with that knife?"

So I yanked the knife from the table and throw it at the wall hoping that it would at least stick into the wall but it landed solidly in the wall between two wires making me seem better than I am.

"Not bad, sweetheart," commented Haymitch, "what about you boy."

Peeta just shrugged his shoulders and looked down and I could see Haymitch was giving up on him so I called out, "Peeta's strong," when they both looked at me I said, "I've seen him lift fifty pounds in flour."

"Well, Katniss is amazing with a bow," Peeta retorted, "she sells my father all kinds of animals, all shot directly through the eye."

"Really," Haymitch said turning back to me.

"I'm not that good," I protested quietly.

"Oh, yes you are," said Peeta loudly.

"Well if you're both any good you'll learn how to play the Hunger Games," Haymitch said with finality.

As soon as Haymitch finished his sentence the room went pitch black, then just as fast as it went dark it was light again and I heard screaming from outside. Both Peeta and I got up to see what was going on outside the window we saw a bunch of screaming Capital people.

I stepped away from the window naturally disgusted at how excited they were to watch us suffer and die but Peeta stayed and waved happily at them.

As I watched them at a distance from the window Haymitch came up behind me and said, "You better watch out for that guy he knows what he's doing."


	3. Chapter 3

**Sole Survivor**

**Chapter Three:**

As soon as the train stopped Haymitch disappeared and we were swept away by a bunch of grotesque Capital people into a big white building. They immediately separated us then once in a secure room ripped off my clothes, brought out a hose, and washed me down then moved up to my hair and roughly scrubbed it "clean" or at least what they consider clean which was weird coming from the green skinned, pierced person.

Once I was clean they shoved me into a chair and came at me with a white strip of paper settled it onto the top of my leg then violently ripped it off.

I held in my howl of pain from having such a sensitive spot tortured like this and kept in all my sounds of pain except a small whimper to which they "comforted" me by stopping for a second. Eventually, they finished my legs and moved on to my torso and so on and so on, when they were finished the only hair on my body was on my head and my eyebrows

While I was enjoying my moment of painlessness I heard them whispering behind me, "What," I demanded as I looked behind me, "what are you saying."

"Oh nothing," said the only man here, "we were just saying we might have to wash you down again."

_Oh is that all_ I thought to myself sarcastically. I shook my head and let them wash me down again and once they were done they left saying they were going to get Cinna who must be my stylists.

I sat alone, naked in complete silence for I don't know how long, there were no windows to see how much time has passed and in a stale white room it was completely creepy.

Eventually a dark skinned man came into the room that looked completely normal except a little gold eye liner on his eyes.

"Hello," he said his voice somehow clear of the Capital accent, "come talk with me."

He walked into a room off of this one which was also windowless along with colorless and sat down on a white couch then pressed a button that somehow summoned food.

How was it that here in the Capital they could summon food with a push of a button when in the districts when either had to work and when no one worked you starved. Unless you're like me and Gale who walk the line of danger every day to hunt for our family's.

"How despicable we must seem to you," Cinna said softly.

I just looked at him, I mean, what are you supposed to say to something like that but fortunately he just settled himself into the couch obviously not expecting me to answer.

"I love your braid," Cinna commented nicely, "it fits your personality perfectly."

"Thank you," I said quietly, "my mother did it for the Reaping."

"And I like your aura," he commented as if I hadn't said anything, "it says _I am fire touch me and you will get burned_."

"Really," I asked unbelievingly.

"That's it," he exclaimed again as if I hadn't spoken, "I know what your costume will be _fire_ you and Peeta covered in flames with coal black everything and we'll even sprinkle a little coal dust on you guys."

"That's a great idea," I murmured not expecting him to hear me.

"Thanks," he said grinning at me, "now let's get you dressed and ready."

I was dressed in a complicated black suit that was flammable, apparently, and had multiple loops and holes but the prep team had left my braid the way it was, orders from Cinna. We were at the end of the line in a coal black chariot and coal black horses once I was there I climbed on to the chariot with Peeta who was dressed similar to me. Eventually, Cinna came up to us and sprinkled coal dust on our faces and _lit us on fire!_

I personally would have screamed and the only reason I didn't was because Cinna put my hand into Peeta's. At first I wanted to rip my hand away from him put as everyone's chariots left and the sun went down we were the only ones left I found his hand increasingly comforting.

When our turn came I gripped Peetas hand so tightly I was surely cutting off his hands circulation. As we came out into the twilighting streets of the Capitol people gasped at us, either because we were on fire or how our glow illuminated to streets only fading as we pasted. After what seems like years of stunned silence the crowd exploded in delighted screams and joyful cries for us.

Eventually, the crowd started screaming our names which they must have bothered to look up somewhere. Peeta and I have never experienced this type of praise so we, caught up in the excitement, raised our held hands for all of Pamen to see. Sometime after that I realized mine and Peetas hands were still twined and I tried to let go but he held on and said, "Please don't let go you're the only thing holding me up."

A few minutes later someone, somewhere in the crowd threw a rose at me and when I caught it I blew a kiss in their general direction and everyone went crazy.

Suddenly everyone was screaming for "Katniss Kisses" and every time I would blow one the crowd would get louder until I could stand it no longer. Luckily just as I had reached my limit we went into the victors circle and the Capital started the national anthem so they had to be quiet.

Throughout the whole parade the cameras had been trained on us and they had a hard time putting them off of us now. It was traditional to look at the president while playing the anthem but the cameras would come back to us every other minute.

Once the anthem was finished Cinna and Patricia came up to us and extinguished our flames as we pried our hands from the other. As the prep teams were congratulating us for our stunning entrance into the Capital world I felt a burning sensation in the back of my head, like someone was watching me. So I turned around to find the monstrous boy from Two glaring at me calculatingly like he was planning my death already.

I naturally glared back at him challenging him to do something about it, knowing he couldn't, for fear he would get killed.

When I turned back to every one they was already walking towards the elevator so I ran to catch up with them just barely making it to the elevator. On the inside of the elevator in was all the same stainless gray color and the only thing there was buttons numbered one through thirteen, but thirteen was crossed out so I assumed they were for the once thirteen districts. One number was glowing so that I assumed was where we were going, the twelve floor.


End file.
